Ask yourself these questions. Have you ever wanted to invade a seaside town across a bay? Fancy racing a bed down the street? Want to show off your or your pets best pirate-wear in a parade? Like to float from party to party with lots of live music? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to head to Eastport, Maine, for all things “pirate”.

The annual Pirate Festival is an event that steadily grows each year and offers a wide variety of activities and events for all ages. Many events are family friendly, with games and a schooner cruise scheduled just for kids, and opportunities to walk in the parade, watch the bed and lobster boat races, and see demonstrations of canon firing. A spectacular display of fireworks caps off the first full day of fun on Saturday night. There are also many events for the older pirates in the crowd, kicking off with the Pirate Ball on Friday evening and followed by many restaurants offering specials and live music. Those with a competitive spirit can race for glory in either the 5K run/walk, aboard a lobster boat, or a bed (yes, a bed) designed to roll down Water Street.

A special feature of the 2012 festival will be a visit by the Tallship HMS Bounty, the exact ship built for the 1962 movie “Mutiny on the Bounty” and also used in the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean”. So if you have also fantasized about walking in Marlon Brando or Johnny Depp’s footsteps on the deck of this impressive ship, tours of the ship will be offered all weekend.

The theatrics of the event also include live theater, in the form of plays offered on Water Street and by the local Stage East theater group as well as reenactments of pirating and demonstrations of sword fighting. So come early September, remember to pull up anchor and head Downeast to Eastport for a fun and creative way to close out the summer.

In 2012, the Lubec invasion is Saturday, September 1st. The Festival is the following weekend – September 7, 8 and 9th.

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